About five months ago I ran a positive research-screening review (based on a talk with a guy I know and trust) of Ed Zwick‘s Love and Other Drugs (20th Century Fox, 11.24). Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Big Pharma, Viagra, early-stage Parkinson’s. On 7.28 another good review popped up, based on a recent Kansas City showing. I don’t know the author but he calls himself Shep and has a reasonably well-written blog called “What Is Wrong With The World Today?”

“Chick flick and romantic comedy. These are words that will make almost any man cringe when uttered by his girlfriend. I know I do. When my girlfriend mentioned an invite for an advance screening of a new romantic comedy I almost told her to take a friend. I’m glad I didn’t.

“Love and Other Drugs is by far the best romantic comedy I’ve seen,” he explains. “It’s smart, sexy, raunchy and hilarious. The chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Hathaway works very well, and their relationship is very believable. Josh Gad’s character adds the raunchy Hangover-style guy comedy needed to keep the male half of a couple interested.

“Director-cowriter Ed Zwick’s interpretation of Jamie Reidy’s novel Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman translates extremely well to the big screen and made me want to read the book. (The screenplay is by Zwick, Marshall Herzkovitz and Charles Randolph.) I know — the movie is never as good.

“But overall the film works, the cast (including costars Oliver Platt and Hank Azaria) has been perfectly picked, and I would totally recommend it.

“Hopefully Love and Other Drugs will do well at the box-office and cause a trend toward romcoms that work for both members of the sexes. I’m giving it four and a half stars.”

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